This is going to leave a mark.

When even a country as socialist as France has a better grasp of the problem of deficits than our Congress, you know we’re in trouble:

When Did the French Become Better Adherents To Limited Government Than the GOP? – Today’s Financial Times reports that French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s administration plans to freeze public spending for five years “to eliminate its deficit and reduce spending as a share of national output.”

You Mean Appeasement Doesn't Work?

The people who should be shocked by this won’t acknowledge it, and the rest of us have been awake the whole time and aren’t at all surprised:

You Mean Appeasement Doesn’t Work?
Wait a minute; Spain withdrew all her troops from Iraq after the Madrid train bombings, and Spanish politicians have been doing their best to bash Israel and appease resident Islamists ever since. So why the suicide bombing plot?

NYT: We Sure Do Love Our Maverick

From the New Duranty Times:

Still, there is a choice to be made, and it is an easy one. Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe. With a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation, he would offer a choice to a broader range of Americans than the rest of the Republican field.

We have shuddered at Mr. McCain’s occasional, tactical pander to the right because he has demonstrated that he has the character to stand on principle. He was an early advocate for battling global warming and risked his presidential bid to uphold fundamental American values in the immigration debate.

This should be the kiss of death for any GOP candidate. It would have been, back when we cared about getting conservatives in office. I’m going to really miss gridlock as we fling ourselves headlong into the jaws of socialism. Further proof of the Mav’s bad judgement – he’s delighted with the endorsement and still unrepentantly open borders.  Our best bet – if the GOP nominee is McCain or Huckabee – is to get Hillary elected so Republicans in Congress will dig their heels in at every opportunity. Billy Hollis is spot-on:

And the GOP faithful are still out there attempting to scare folks with “What? Any Republican is better than Hillary! If you small-government types know what’s good for you, you’ll get behind the GOP nominee, whoever it is. Otherwise, it will be a disaster!”

Well, it will be a disaster – for the political insiders and those whose life revolves around winning. The Democrats already suffered through theirs. In 1994, the entire Democratic political establishment was shell shocked when the GOP took Congress, by a big margin. The GOP has not yet faced their own disaster, mostly because they’ve been blessed with stupid enemies.

But I think it’s coming, sooner or later. Sooner, if McCain or Huckabee are the standard bearer. Later, if the GOP squeezes out one more victory, but just can’t internalize the need to stop selling the spending, stop the earmarks, and get serious about their core small-government principles.

You would think that their most successful president of the last century showed them the template they need to succeed, and that they would therefore adopt it. Apparently not. As the old saw goes, they might do the right thing – after they’ve exhausted all other possibilities.

Even A Stopped Clock Is Right Twice A Day

I’m not a fan of the American Family Association. But every once in a while I find myself nodding in agreement. I don’t like sports, so this doesn’t apply to me anyway. But they have a real point about the double standard.

ABC has one standard for homosexuals and a different standard for Christians
Poll: Would you be willing to boycott sponsor of Dana Jacobson’s show
Dear ,
ABC fired an actor because of an anti-gay comment, but gave anchorwoman who told an audience ‘F—Jesus’ what amounted to a one-week vacation.

Last June, when actor Isaiah Washington, star of ABC’s show Grey’s Anatomy, made an anti-gay slur in reference to openly homosexual T.R. Knight, the network immediately fired Washington.

But when ESPN (owned by ABC) anchorwoman Dana Jacobson publicly said “F— Notre Dame,” “F— Touchdown Jesus” and finally “F— Jesus,” the network gave her a one week suspension. In essence, ABC gave Jacobson a one week vacation.

ABC has two standards, one for anti-gay comments and one for anti-Christian comments. Those who use anti-gay comments are punished. Those who use anti-Christian comments are supported.

If ABC refuses to fire Jacobson, would you be willing to support a one-year boycott of the sponsor of her program?

I wouldn’t describe a week’s suspension as “supported” but it’s certainly not equivalent to being fired. And Washington was made to publicly repent, undergo thoughtcrime treatment and then still lost his job.